Door



A. E. NORRIS AND J. ECKS.

DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED 050.6, 1915.

1,40 ,214, Patented Feb. 14; 1922.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET A. E. NORRIS AND J. ECKS'.

- DOOR. APPLICATION FILED 0156.6. 1915. 1 106,214. Patented Feb. 14,1922.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET Z- .55 65 I i? 57 I 69 65 7'8 flmonE-Norrw, JohnE's-7&5,

A. E. NORRIS AND J. ECKS.

DO0R..

APPLICATION FILED DEC-6.1915.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. E. NORRIS AND J. ECKS.

DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-6.1915. 1,406,214.

9 V O 76 v 239 0 O 0 Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

warren stares PATENT OFFICE.

ALMON E. NORRIS, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND JOHN ECKS, OF MIL-V/AUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS T0 MEAD-MORRISON MANUFACTUR- ING- GOMPANY,OF EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

DOOR.

Lice-.214.

Application filed December 6, 1915.

'1 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,'.-l.LiroN E. Nonms and Jorrn Eons, citizens of theUnited States, and residents, respectively, of Brookline, in the countyof Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, and Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee,State of isconsin, have invented an Improvement in Doors, of which thefollowing description, in connection, with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to doors and more particularly to the doors ofdumping cars and among other objects aims to provide a simple andeffective means for automatically controlling said doors.

The character of the invention may be best understood by reference tothe following description of illustrative embodiments thereof shown inthe accompanying drawings, wherein,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cable-actuated car equipped withillustrative door con trolling means embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the bars for gripping the door closing lever;-

Fig. 4 is a detail planof the door controlling means in position forholding the doors in closed position;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of said controlling means;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the parts in their position when thedoor is open;

Fig. 7 is a detail of one of the pulleys shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a view showing a modified form of door controlling means;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a modified form of operating levers andconnections therefor; and

Fig. 10 is a detail of a further modification.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrative door controlling means showntherein as embodying the invention is'applied to a car 1 (Fig. 1) havingwheels 3 adapted to travel along a track 5. The car illustrated hereinSpecification 5r Letters Patent. P t t 14, 2

Serial No. 65,388.

is adapted to be drawn along the track by the engagement of a grip 7with a cable 9. This grip may be operated automatically or manually inthe usual manner. A step 11 at one end of the car is adapted to supportthe operator when controlling the cable grip.

The sides of the car may flare upwardly and outwardly and the bottom ofthe car may be formed to present portions 13 (Fig. 2) inclining from thecenter of the car downwardly and outwardly beyond the wheels of the car.This will cause the load when discharging to gravitate downward andoutward toward the sides of the car.

Side doors 15 may be provided hinged on horizontal axes and dependingdownward with their free ends meeting the outer edges of the inclinedfloor portions 13. As shown, the axes of the door hinges are locatedoutward somewhat beyond the outer edges of said floor portions, so thatwhen the doors are released they tend to gravitate and swing outwardaway from said edges.

Next will be described the means for controlling the doors. This meanscomprises links 17 (Figs. land 2) having ends pivotally connected to oneof the doors adjacent the ends thereof, and links 19 having endspivotally connected to the other door adjacent the ends thereof. Theselinks extend upward and inward and are pivotally con nected to the endsof bow-shaped rocking levers 21 or equivalent elements fast on' the endsof a shaft 23 journalled in hearings in brackets (Fig. 1) mounted on theends of the car. The link 19 at one end of the car may be extendedbeyond its point of connection with its rocking lever 21 and have at theouter end thereof a handle 27 for facilitating the manual controlthereof.

When the doors are closed each rocking lever and its links is in theposition shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The rocking lever then is in ahorizontal position with the links crossing one another and connected tothe ends of the lever furthest from their points of connection with thedoor.

When it is'desired. toopen the doors the handle 27 may be grasped andthe link 19 swung up about its point of pivotal connection with itsdoor. This will cause the levers 21 to rock in a clockwise direction andthereby thrust the links outward and open the doors. Then they willoccupy po sitions substantially as shown in Fig. 6. The rocking leverwill have a rotative movement on its fulcrum through an arc of greateror less extent depending on the; amount the doors are to open.

hen it is desired to close the doors the handle 27 is grasped and thelink 19 is swung downward, thereby rotating the rocking lever 21 in acontraclockwise direction, and drawing the links 17 and 19 inward backto their positions shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

To limit the rocking of the levers 21 in a elockuise direction, one ofthem may have a lug 2st 4, 5 and 6) thereon adapted to engage a stop 22on the end of the car. This will prevent the doors from flying out farenough to rock the link 19 to a position where it could not be shiftedto automatically close the doors as more fully hereinafter described.

To limit the levers 21 in a oontraclockwise direction the link 17 mayhave an elbow 17 to bring the link in position to engage the sleeve 21when the doors are closed. This will prevent the rotation of the leversbeyond the position shown in Fig. 5 and thereby )revent the inadvertentreopening of the doors immediately after the closing thereof.

Preferably the links are pivot-ally connected to their doors and therocking levers so that their longitudinal axes lie substantially on theaxis of the rocking lever shaft when the doors are closed. As a resultthe weight of the doors and the load thereon will tend to draw the linkssubstantiall in line with their longitudinal axes and the pull on onewill be balanced by the pull on the other. Thus the links will mutuallycooperate through said rocking levers to lock the doors in closedpositions.

When it is desired to open the doors, it will be ecessary to swing saidlinks upward until they pass a dead'center position. Then the doors willbe unlocked and be free to swing open.

An important feature of the invention re lates to means forautomatically closing the doors. To accomplish this a rope or othersuitable flexible connection 29 (Figs. 2, 5 and 6) may have oneendconnected by a shackle 31 with the operating link 19. This ropepasses downwardly from said link about apulley 33mount-ed on one end ofone of the doors. The rope extends thence upward over a second pulley(Fig. 7) pivotally connected to a bracket 37 mounted on one of the sidesof the ca r at an end thereof and thence over a third pulley 89 (Fig. 1)mounted on the side of the ca r adjacent the upper edge thereof andthence to a control ling lever -11 having its lower end fulcrumed on abearing bracket 13 mounted on the side of the car. The upper end of saidlever projects beyond the top of the car and is adapted to cooperatewith an operating frame therefor to be described.

The operating frame for said lever comprises a pair of posts 15 spaced asufiicient distance beyond the track to permit the car to pass betweenthem. The upper ends of said posts are connected by a transverse beam 47and stiffened by braces 49. Another similar pair of posts 51 may beprovided connected by a transverse beam 53.

The posts 15 and 51 may be connected by diagonal stay bars 5 1. Thebeams 17 and 53 serve to: support a longitudinal beam 55 extendingparallel to the track and located above one of the sidesof the car inline with the controlling lever 41.

Pairs of opposed hangers 57 are connected to and depend from the beam 55and carry at their lower ends opposed bars 59. These bars have outwardlyflaring end portions 61 and 63 (Fig. 3) to facilitate the pas. of thecontrolling lever 41 between them as more fully hereinafter described.

To press the bars into engagement with one another, each pair of hangers5'? may have a bolt 65 entered through registering apertures thereinlocated conveniently centrally between their ends. Helical springs 67 oneach bolt are confined between the outer faces of the hangers andwashers 69 held by adjusting and lock nuts 71. The tension of thesprings may be varied to press the bars toward one another with greateror less force, as desired.

In operation it may be supposed an empty car is traveling toward theright (Fig. 1) with its doors open as shown in. Fig. (5 and thecontrolling lever for the doors is in its position against the stop 44:as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the car reaches the frame, theupper free endof the lever 41-1 will enter between the flaring portions61 of the bars 59 and press the latterslightly apart against theresistance of their springs. The latter will exert sufiicient pressureon the bars to check or arrest the lever so that as the car continues toadvance it will be rocked in a contraclockwise direction to its positionshown in full lines in Fig. 1. In the course of this rocking movementthe lever will draw the rope 29 upward and swingthe operating link 19downward from its position shown in Fig. 6 to its position shown in Fig; 5,thereby closing the doors.

The spring-pressed bars apply a doorclosing force to the door-closingdevices from a. fixed extraneous point, but in the form of a yieldinggrip or drag on the shiftable controlling leverl, so that an elastic oryielding door-closing force is ap plied to close the doors of the carwhile permitting the continuing transit of said car Ely without stoppageor change of direction in its movement. This insures against breakage ofparts or the stoppage of the cable road even though lumps of coal getbetween the doors in the act of closing. The doors when closed by theaction of the presser bars on the lever, will remain closed until theyare subsequently opened by hand or by the automatic door-opening devicehereinafter referred to. p

t The modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is similar to that alreadydescribed with the exception that a guide pulley 73 is mounted on aframe piece 74 attached to one end of the car instead of on the car dooras described. Also, instead of employing. an upstanding controllinglever for the door, a lever To is provided depending downward from itspoint of pivotal connection with the side of the car and carrying apulley 7 7 about which the rope passes, said rope having an endconnected by a shackle with a coil spring 7 8 anchored to the side ofthe car.

lVith this form of construction an overhead frame for shifting the doorcontrolling lever is not essential. An appropriate fixed abutment (notshown) may be provided at the side of the track in position to engagethe depending lever at the appropriate time and close the doors. Thespring connected to the door operating rope prevents an unduly sharpjerk on the ropewhen the lever strikes the fixed abutment and when thedoors reach their closed positions.

As a further modification, there is shown in Fig. 10, a wheel 7 9 whichmay be mounted fast on the shaft 28 carrying the rocking levers. A rope81 has one end anchored to this wheel and its'other end connected to theoperating lever. The rope may have a sufficient length wound on theperiphery of the wheel so that when therope is drawn it will turn thewheel, rock the lever in a contra-clockwise direction (Fig. 10) andclose the doors.

To automatically open the doors an arm 83 (Fig. 1) is provided fast onthe rocking shaft 23 at one end of the car and connected by a link 85with one arm of a bell-crank 87, the other arm of which is connected bya rod 88 with an arm 91 fast on a shaft 93 located centrally beneath thecar. An arm 95 fast on said shaft depends therefrom and has a roller 97on the free end thereof adapted for engagement with an abutment (notshown) projecting up from the track. In the course of the travel of thecar said roller will engage said abutment and through the connectionsdescribed will rock the shaft 23 to shift the levers 21 and open thedoors. The travel of the car having caused the roller 97 to be engagedand meved by the stationary abutment on the traokway, the car willtravel. on, the doors being thus opened and remaining opened during thecontinuing transit of the car and without stoppage or change ofdirection.

It will be understood that while the door operating device has beenshown and described in connection with a car, its field of usefulness isnot limited thereto.

The device is extremely simple, strong and cheap in construction,readily operated and without likelihood of'getting out of order andrequiring repair.

Having described illustrative embodiments of the invention withoutlimiting the same thereto, what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent'is l. The combination with a car having doors, ofcontrolling means therefor including a member mounted on said car, astationary frame, and spring-pressed bars carried by the latter forgripping said member to shift the same and actuate said doors as the cartravels past said support.

2. The combination with a car having doors, of controlling means forsaid doors including a member fulcrumed on the car, a stationary frame,a beam carried thereby, hangers depending from said beam, bars carriedby said hangers, and spring means for pressing said bars toward oneanother to grip said member to actuate the doors as the car passes saidframe.

8. The combination with a car having a door, of door-closing means forthe latter, including a shiftable member mounted on the car movement ofwhich serves to close the door, a stationary support, and frictionallyacting operating means carried thereby and cooperatively related to thepath of said shiftable member for frictionally engaging said shiftablemember to yieldablyactuate the same and exert a yieldable or elasticdoor-closing force to close the doors on travel of said car whilepermitting continuing transit of said car. relatively to said support.

4-. Car door controlling means comprising a support, a beam carriedthereby, hangers depending from said beam, bars on said hangers, andmeans tending to press said bars toward one another to grip a car dooractuating member. s

5. The combination of a car having swinging doors, a mechanism mountedon the end of the car for moving the doors in or out, a movable membermounted on the car and adapted to cooperate with a tripping deviceadjacent the car, a flexible connection between said member andmechanism to operate the latter to swing said doors in one direction onmovement of said member, and second member projecting from the car forcooperation with a tripping device to operate the mechanism in thecontrary sense.

6. A car having swinging doors, an oscillating member mounted on thecar, connections between the same and the doors to move them in and out,a swinging member mounted on the side of the car and a flexibleoperating connector extending therefrom and connected with saidoscillating member, said connector being trained over a guide on a doorremote from the hinged side thereof. 1

7. A car having swinging doors, an oscillating member mounted on thecar, connections betweenthe same and the doors to move them in and out,a swinging member mounted on the side of the car and a flexile operatingconnector extending therefrom and connected with said oscillatingmember, said connector being trained over a guide on a door remote fromthe hinged side thereof: and a second guide mounted on the car body toswing with the movement of the door. 7

8. In a cable railway system, the combination with a car having doors,of devices for closing the same, including a shiftable member, and meansfixed adjacent the railway for engagingsaid member and exerting ayieldable door-closing force on said devices while the car is incontinuing transit.

9. In a cable railway system, the combination with a car having doors,of devices for closing the same, including a shiftable member to actuatesaid devices, the latter being adapted to hold the doors closed afterbeing moved by said devices, and means for applying a yieldable pull onsaid shiftable member during the continuing transit of the car to exerta yieldable door-closing force upon said devices.

10. In a cable railway system, the combination with a car having doors,of devices for closing the same, including the shiftable member 41,toggle links 17 19 and 21, and devices 59, 59 for engaging saidmemmember andv said door and means fixed ada jacent the railway forengaging'said member and exerting a yieldable door-closing force on saiddevices while the car is in continuing transit.

12. In a cable railway system, the combination with a car having a doorof devices for closing the same, including a shiftable member, africtionally acting operating member located'adjacent the railway andwithin the path of said shiftable member and adapted to move the saidshiftable member by its frictional contact during the continuing transitof the car, said devices also including connections between the door andsaid shiftable member to close the door when said member is moved bysaid frictionally acting operating member.

13. In a cable railway system,'the combination with a .car having a doorof devices for opening and closing the same including a shiftable memberand linkage connections between the same and the door, means forexerting a yieldable door closing force to close the door through saidlinkage during continuing transit of the car, and means to automaticallyopen the door through said linkage also during the continuing transit ofthe car. 1

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALMON E. NORRIS. JOHN EGKSL IVitnesses HERBERT H. MASON, IVM, H. HOLT.

